Make Summer Reading Fun. Create a list of 4-6 books for you and your child to read over the summer. Provide opportunities to read everyday, and model reading for enjoyment daily too. Make reading fun by exploring the main library or creating a cozy book nook for your child.

Be Creative When Incorporating Math Practice. Practice math skills through everyday activities- cooking to introduce measuring and fractions; shopping for addition or subtraction; tracking temperature, etc. Make it fun while providing opportunities to learn skills they need.

Create A Summer Goal List with Your Child. Have her pick 3 things she wants to learn to do or learn about during the summer, like ride a bike, learn to dive, conquer a fear, learn about fostering a pet, etc.& work together to achieve it.

Keep it Informal & Fun.You don’t have to whip out the workbooks and flashcards, summer is great for informal learning. Provide opportunities for your child to pursue new interests, keeping the learning opportunities fun and engaging.

Summer Camp & Workshops. Consider your child’s interests and talents when considering camp. Narrow down the options and have your chid select the one he finds most interesting.

Make a Rainy Day Plan. List fun indoor activities and games you can play on rainy days so you don’t find yourselves watching too much TV or getting bored. Teach your child a favorite card game, learn new board games together, plant an indoor garden or tackle the scrap books together and reminisce!

Enjoy the Summer. Maintain balance – schedules and unstructured fun.

For more of these tips and great resources, be sure to check out the premiere summer edition of the PALNYC Newsletterand SUBSCRIBE to PALNYC’s blog for 60 Days of Summer Fun for daily doses of educational nuggets, resources and apps to use throughout the summer with your child. PALNYC_Newsletter_Summer2014

Among the presenters at the Preventing Summer Slide workshop were Nathan Levy, President of the New Jersey Association of Gifted Children and Nathan Levy Books, who spoke on Critical Thinking; Frances Sternof Talk About Math with a workshop on K through 2nd grade Math retention; Melissa Singer of Brooklyn School of Inquiry who presented on 3rd through 6th grade Math; and Milo Scekic who introduced parents to Mind Games for elementary-age students.

For more information on our speakers and links to their books and resources, check out the links below.